Renault heads new-car finance fight with zero per cent offer

Renault has landed the latest blow in the finance battle between Australia’s automotive brands, offering customers zero per cent finance on four of its passenger vehicles between August 8 and September 30.

The finance deal is the latest addition to Renault Australia’s high-value aftersales offering on its passenger cars, which also includes a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and $199 capped-price servicing for the first three years of ownership.

Holden’s one-week finance offer starts on Thursday (August 9) and runs until the close of business on August 15, and like Renault’s offer, covers finance for the first three years.

Holden also announced a capped-price servicing program across its range in April, with maximum service prices ranging from $185 to $375.

Holden’s finance offer runs exactly one month after Nissan hit the market with a similar one-week, one per cent deal. The offer helped Nissan reach record July sales, with 6155 deliveries across the country boosting its sales by 17.5 per cent compared with the same month in 2011.

Holden will be hoping the offer can give its sales a short-term shot in the arm. The local manufacturer’s sales were down 17.4 per cent last month, and trail 2011’s tally by 11.3 per cent year-to-date. Cruze sales plummeted 40 per cent to 1875 units in July, while the Commodore was down 32.4 per cent to 2399 units.

Renault is enjoying a positive year in 2012, with sales up 16.5 per cent in July and an impressive 30.0 per cent year-to-date.